Guardian Ghost
by BKJ's Sorceress
Summary: Max and Berto go to the Artic on a mission, fairly routine for them. But things go horribly wrong, provoking a supernatural force to step in and alter someone's fate.
1. Default Chapter

Title: Guardian Ghost  
  
Rating: pg13?  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Max Steel, but I do own my character. Please don't sue or anything, I have little value or possessions. And you wouldn't want the Cat I do have, he'll tell no tales and he'll eat all your ice cream.  
  
Author's note: Alright, this chapter sort of introduces my character, but her appearance is a bit fleeting. She'll play an important role in the story though, and will pop up from time to time from now on. I hope you like this first story and I accept all comments, good and bad. Either way it means someone took the time to actually read one of my stories. Good reading!  
  
  
  
Guardian Ghost  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The mission was supposed to be simple, check up on some weird readings in the Artic, then return to base and take some vacation time. Things never do work the way they plan. She knew the fates had set the ball rolling for Doctor Roberto Martinez to die. He was to die in the Artic of exposure, alone, and only eighteen years old. But something in this one's soul was strong, and it reminded her much of the males in her family. So she felt pulled to follow him in her own way, and perhaps intervene fate as she had risked many times before, to save his life.  
  
First though she needed to see how it would play out if he were to die today, then she would decide if it was worth the risk to change his fate and save him. For she knew once she did, a piece of his soul would belong to her forever and this would make her eternally responsible for him in her heart.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Berto held on to his seat's armrests restlessly as he dozed in ArticKat. He was dreaming very vividly, and the fever he had hid from everyone made the images stranger. He restlessly murmured in Spanish as he dreamed, the sweat sliding down his brow. In his dream he could see . . . .  
  
` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `  
  
Fire from an explosion, a funeral, Max crying and dressed in a tux. He stood over a grave, his breath hitching in sobs as he cried for whomever had died. Then a woman appeared, calling his name. She was petite and had the strangest blue eyes, and her auburn hair streamed like fire behind her. He could feel it brush his cheek as she murmured to him in a language he had heard, but could not recognize.  
  
Then the same woman, this time on a battlefield, her hair in a long braid that reached her ankles, dressed in a dress of midnight blue, astride a horse and wielding a pair of double-bladed swords in battle. A strange mask rested above her head, as if she had pulled it up to see better, and she was riding straight towards him. She raced through the field, a strange battle cry flying from her lips. He saw men part from her like she was a specter of death, a banshee even with her unearthly cry. Then the horse was rearing in front of him as she paused by him and went to grab his wrist. He could feel the strength in her grip as she leaned down to him. "My name is Mercuriana, call me when the time comes," she whispered softly to him. Then she wheeled away and back into the battle, he started to call to her . . . . .  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Berto?," a voice called quietly, as he opened his eyes to the darkened interior of the ArticKat. Max was leaning over him, his hand resting on Berto's brow, and a frown on his face. "You have a high fever," Max muttered worriedly. "Yeah, I guess I do." Berto answered lamely as he licked his dry lips. He felt hot and achy, and he was very thirsty but slightly queasy as well. He started to ask for something to drink, but Max must have read his mind because he handed him a cool bottle of soda to drink. He took it and thanked Max quietly and then drank it slowly, concentrating on keeping his empty stomach settled.  
  
"Were you sick before we left the base?," Max demanded, his eyes boring a hole in Berto's eyes. "I was feeling a little under the weather," Berto fibbed, not wanting to tell Max that he had been feeling ill for three days. Max narrowed his eyes at the response and turned back to the stuff he had on the console. Turning back to Berto who still had his chair reclined back, he held up a thermos. Berto almost chuckled at Max as he poured a cup of Beef stew from the thermos. Max never was one for the rations of freeze- dried food they issued them on missions and often brought junk food along to snack on. Soup though, he didn't think Max would be one to bring that. "Sure," he said sarcastically as Max practically shoved the cup of soup into his hands.  
  
He sipped it slowly, and grimaced as his stomach complained. He concentrated on keeping the soup down and sipped slowly and determinedly, trying to keep Max fooled on how sick he truly was.  
  
"Hey, Berto, I'm going to start out for that beacon station now. I'll check it out and be back in a little while. You'll be okay, right?" Max questioned.  
  
"Sure Hermano, I'll be fine. Don't worry," Berto answered, trying to be convincing as he smiled at Max. He really didn't feel better, but the mission would only be a few more hours long and then they could back to the base. After that, maybe he would even end up going with Josh on vacation.  
  
"Sure Hermano, get going. The sooner you get back, the sooner we can leave," Berto admonished.  
  
Max looked surprised for a second before he smiled brightly. "Up to another vacation with me?" Max teased lightly, his tone indicating his thoughts on it.  
  
"Yeah Hermano, I'll risk it," Berto replied, "Now get going."  
  
That being said, Berto sat up in the chair and pulled himself out another soda, and raised his chair up. He settled back in, pretending to get comfortable as Max tried to watch him discreetly while he got ready to go out in the cold.  
  
"See you later, bro," he called out as he excited the back on the Snowtracker.  
  
"See ya Hermano," Berto called quietly as he slumped back into the seat, his head swimming irritably. He leaned forward carefully to snag the bottle of Tylenol, from his bag, he had for headaches and shake out two pills. He swallowed them with a grimace, and leaned back in the seat. 'Just a few more hours,' he thought to himself, then gritted his teeth as his stomach cramped viciously.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Red glaring eyes watched as the hovercraft flew over the slight indentations of tracks. A vehicle had been this way recently, and he and his men were tracking it. It wouldn't do for their little lab to be discovered yet, and since he had been idle for weeks, he was ready for a little fun.  
  
As they cleared the next snow bank, the ArticKat became visible. If his metal face hadn't already been permanently made into a grin, Psycho might have smiled.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Author's Notes: Well that's it for Chapter one. I should have Chapter two up soon though. All reviews are welcome, kind or unkind. Flamage will be used to fire my kiln, so fire away. Thanks. 


	2. Guardian Ghost; The Dream

Title: Guardian Ghost; The Dream  
  
Rating: pg13  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Max Steel, but I do own my character. Please don't sue or anything, I have little value or possessions. And you wouldn't want the Cat I do have, he'll tell no tales and he'll eat all your ice cream.  
  
Author's note: Alright, I could tell you what's going to happen but it would ruin the surprise of it wouldn't it? I accept all comments, good and bad. Either way it means someone took the time to actually read one of my stories. Good reading!  
  
Guardian Ghost; The Dream  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Berto gratefully fell into sleep as the pills kicked in and knocked out his already weak body into oblivion.  
  
And the dream began again . . .  
  
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````  
  
Red eyes glared at him in the dark and he ran from them in fear, why he feared those eyes he did not know, except that he felt a sense of evil to them.  
  
He ran from those eyes into woods, and finally, burst into a clearing where battle waged. He watched as warriors fought and he found him self confused.  
  
He could see men painted in blue, like the Irish used to do once, fighting with great passion; alongside them he could see men armed with lasers, of the likes he had never seen before, fighting as well. But all of them had one thing in common, the amulet around their neck.  
  
It was an amulet he himself had, passed down to him by his grandfather who had said his grandmother had kept it for one of their grandchildren to have. The chosen protégé his grandfather had said, the grandchild that would belong to her.  
  
This Berto had not understood, what "her" was, but now watching this battle, seeing all these men from Past, Present, and what he assumed was future . . . He thought he understood.  
  
Then the strange woman appeared once more, still astride her horse, and reached down to haul him up behind her before he could protest.  
  
He winced as they sped away, the horse moving beneath them. The woman in front of him, struck men down as she cut through them.  
  
As she broke away from the battle, she turned towards a path, and flew down it with the horse.  
  
"Listen to me, Berto. You must do as I say when you go back to the waking world. But first there is much you must know," the woman murmured to him as she slowed her mount.  
  
"You must wear the amulet, it will help protect you. But to wear it you must first understand that with its power comes a responsibility. Once you wear it, you are now and for always under my care.  
  
"In return a piece of your soul will forever belong to me. I wish it wasn't so for you to be placed under my protection, but in order for such a deal to be done a high price must be paid," she finished softly as the horse slowed and moved quietly through the forest's shadows.  
  
"Why?" Berto stated simply, not comprehending anything she said. This dream world was real and surreal at the same time. He understood that this had to be the woman from the tales his grandmother had often told to him as a child, and that like the characters in the stories, she had chosen him to be under her protection. But there still remained the question of 'WHY?'  
  
Looking back to the woman turned and watching him, he started as he realized she was no longer on the horse, but floating in front of him now. She had her blades in her lap and had cleaned them while his mind had wandered over the questions he had.  
  
As he watched her, her face eased into a serene, but sad smile. "Why, eh Berto? Why do you need to be under my protection? Because very soon, an enemy with glowing eyes will kill you and it will be Max who will find your body. Then he will start a chain of events that will take years to stop and cost thousands their lives," she quietly stated.  
  
" I've tried to find a way to stop it; that allows your death, but there is no such solution. In order to prevent so many deaths, I must prevent yours from occurring. In doing so, I disrupt a very crucial, and very delicate balance. To disrupt the balance of life and death, if only but one life, changes the course of everything. I challenge the very fates to do so, and because of it you must be placed under my protection, and as a rule most offer a piece of your soul in return. It's a rule I dislike, but cannot change. So please, Berto, make your decision. When you return to the waking world, take the amulet out of your bag and put it around your neck. That signifies you offer a part of your soul to me and are placed under my protection. Once it is done it is final, and the deal does not even end with your death, but only when your soul ceases to exist. Choose wisely," she finished.  
  
Berto looked at her in something between shock and befuddlement as his brain tried to process all she had said. 'Is this even real?' his mind questioned as he stared at her, 'or some fever-induced dream?'  
  
"This is no dream Berto, and to prove it, when you return to the waking world there will be a dagger on the console and front of you. It will be approximately eight inches in length, and the hilt will have a design carved into it, it will be of a fox with silver eyes and from the fox's eyes will course tears of blue that will run down on the blade. If that is there, then you can be sure this is real," she finished.  
  
Berto nodded to himself, half-believing it would be there when he woke up, half-not. He turned to her to ask a question and realized she had gone completely still.  
  
She turned to him with a glazed expression in her eyes and said "Go now, you can't stay any longer. He's coming! . . ."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Berto jerked awake with a gasp, her voice echoing in his head as his eyes toke in the dim interior of the ArticKat. A glance at his watch showed him Max had been gone two hours, and that he should check in with him.  
  
As he reached to turn on the portable Bio-Link, he saw the dagger lying on the console. He lifted it up with shaking hands to pull off sheath and stare at it. There, on the dagger's hilt, a fox with silver eyes stared back at him, blue tears running from its eyes onto the shining blade.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Author's Note: Well this is shorter than I wanted it to be, but it will have to do for now. I hope you like it. Thanks for reading! 


End file.
